Safety-tread-step construction



owls, 1925. -1.557.235

A. S. HUGHES l SAFETY TREAD SflE-P CONSTRUQTIOH Filed April 21, 1922 WITNESSES A'rTonNlY Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT 1st-zes OFFICE. l

ARTHUR SHERID'AN HUGHES, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

Application led April 21, 1922. Serial` No. 555,907.

T0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known thatI, ARTHUR S. HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Tread-Step Constructions (Case A), of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sta-ir construction, particularly to that type including sheet metal tread members and risers secured together and having a treadV proper of plastic material, and it has for its object the provision of a novel nose pieceprovided with a safety or nonsslipping tread, which will tend` to prevent accident to the user of the stairs, the nose piece also actingas a lock for positively holding togethery the tread member and riser and avoiding any displacement thereof.

A11 important object is the provision of a nose piece of this character which is capable of bodily removal to allow for replacement, the tread blocks being also individually renewable when desired.

Another object is the provision o-f a nose piece in which the tread blocks are lso arranged that they will not yact as a bank to retain dirt, dust and the like, but will permit ready sweeping off of any accumulation of such matter.

Theconstruction and arrangement of the structural elements will be readily comprehended' from a study of the description taken in conjunction `with the accompanying drawingsythough it is to be distinctly understood that the detailed disclosure is merely illustrative of t-he preferred embodiment of the invention, as I reserve the rightV to adopt many variations and make such modiiications as lwill widen the field of its usefulness, provided always that such changes involve no ndeparture lfrom the salient features or spirit of the invention or the scope of the -appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a` step embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan `view of -a fragment of -the step;

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; y p

.Figure 4 is a cross' section through a modi. fied form of step;

form

Figure 5 is asimilar view of a different Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; 'Figure 7 is a sectionl showing a still different form;

Figure 8 is asimilar view illustrating an'- other modification. Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown a stair construction in which the stepy includes a tread member A and a'riser B shaped and connected as shown. In Ithis type of step, the tread member is supported by a transverse stay bolt or rod C, located near the free edge of the step at the underside thereof. The tread proper is formed of plastic material indicated at D which covers the tread member to the desiredthickness. The juncture of the tread member with the riser is curved outwardly, as shown at 10, and is then bent straight upwardly as at 11, so as to pro- Vide a pocket with an overhanging shoulder,

for the plastic material.

.In Figures l to 3, inclusive, I have sho-wn the upper portion of the riser formed with `a horizontal shelf or portion 12,'from which extends a vertical wall or portion 13, `which 'which operates to provide retaining means a vertical wall or portion 15, which is bent backwardly or inwardly to dene a horizontal flange' 16, the parts 13 and 14 fitting snugly against the parts 15 and 16, while the Yfront end of the tread, member rests upon and issupported' by the shelf or horizontal portion 12.,- `The iianges 14 and 16 have their free inner edges flush. v f

Located at the free front'edge'of the step upon the flange 14 is a nose'piecev 17 which isformed as an elongated'channel-like strip, with one'edgeyprovided with a` depending flangelS lying againstythe vertical wall or A 'portion 13 of the riser. The "other edge ofthe'strip is formed `with an acute angle` lflange 19, which engages over and around the free inner edges of the flanges14 and 16v and extends below the same and is'eme diagonally and are spaced equal distances apart. These sockets may, in actual practice, beformed by punching the strip to define an upstanding iange 21V constituting thewall of the socket, the flange itself being j in' the same manner.

inclined so as to serve as a retaining lmeans for a block or pad 22 of some nonslifppi'ng material, which projects slightly above the socket. The method adapted for forming the sockets is not material. The nose piece might be held in position by any one of 4a wide variety of means, though a convenient method is by screws 23 which are threaded into `the flanges 14 and 16. y Y

Figure l4 varies from the lalcove described form only in the formation ofthe detachablenose piece-Q4, which 'has its flanges y18, '19a parallel.

In Figifres l'and, Ithe horizontal upper flange 14 of the riser has its free ledge formed with a depending flange 25, Vwithin the angle -of'iwhich engages 4the upper edge of a foriiiardly "inclined locking arm or member 26 A"provided on xthe free edge of ithe tread members'o as to provide AanJiriterlocking connection, The -member -25 is ,provided with a plurality of openingsg?, through whichmay pass 'the plastic "material of the tread during the `i'nld-ing thereof. The nose 4piece employed -is identically the same as lthat shown in nFi'fggure 4, land is 4secured In Figure 7 the contacting portions of the tread member`and riser :ait the underside Aof the step are inclined downwardly, las shown at 28 and 29 respectively. The flange 14 is formed with a depending lportion 30 which locks Abehind thetedgeof the flangemember 16, lbutA Ythe 'same detachable vnose Apiece is employed 'as in Fi'gure'll. 4

Another modification is shown in Figure 8. in which the'flanges 14f'a`nd 16 have their free edges formedwith co'ntacting L.deIJending flanges 31 and`32 respectively, whichare inclined at an "acute V'angle Vto "form interlock. The nose piece 17 iised in Eig/ure l must 'be employed in this :form of 4ithe device.

`In all forms of 'the invention regardless of the interlocking feature, it Will/be noted that I have 'provided "a safety nose piece,

which is readily renewable or replaoahle,

and which willoperate to vinsure the safety ofthe users'ofithestlairs, on account of the non-slipping provisin iliade. As `:the non; slip blocks or Epads andn their sockets are spaced apart, L"there Twill be nothing to cause dirt and diist Vto baul; `up for accumulate, as sweeping between the socketsmay bereadily effected.

In some "ofthe modifications shown, the detachablenose piece `acts "as a lock for ise- -urirfg awed @were .the friet while in other A'forms the `lnose 4vpiece operates. as aV reinforcement Vfo'r'stiffening fand' strengthening Vthe\etructure at `tl1e front edgejand -`insuring the maximum -dnrability The wear ona treadis confined to a small "place vat the ifroiit edge iiear fthe center. IThen this is vWorn to `any'"entent, "it has been necessary to replace the entire tread. With the arrangement disclosed, the substitution of a new nose piece is all that is necessary.

In practice, I use ressed steel, lead or carborundum, as a Yfil ing material for the sockets of the nose piece. Each socket is dove-tailed, as shown. They are placed at 'an angle-lof 450,thou1gh it has been found that this angle offers more resistance to slipping and gives `better results than any other positionya's it facilitates sweeping and cleaning. lVhere `a safety tread is applied hav-ing a corrugated surface lextending the full length, as in ordinary practice, fit is very hard 'to sweep and, therefore, fkeep ythe safety tread clean. lVhile Ih'ave shown the Vsafety nosing in the form of a narrow strip, it could "be made into a much avi-der strip with successive rows of recesses or receptacles Vfor the filler. -I'f desired, the entire i tread surface of the 'ste'p may 'be thus formed.

What is claimed is:

f1. In a stair construction, l'a step including a riser and a tread memberinteilocked at their front edges forming the 'nose of the step, and a separate nose piece, applied 'over Athe-nose at the top and lprovided with ipockets filled with non-slippingm-aterial.

`2. In a `stair construction, -a Vstep 'includ- "ing a riser and a tread member interlocked at their front edges and forming 'the =nose of the step, 'and `al separate Apiece appliedove-rthe nose at the top and provided with 'a v`series of spaced socketscontaining nonisli-pping material. v

k3. In a stair construction, afstep'includfing a Yriser and a tread member interlocked yat their Afront edges forming the nose o'f the istep, and a separate nose pieceappliedover the lnose l'at vthe top and provided with fa series of--spacedfsockets containing non-slipping material, gthe sockets lextending diagonally across the nose piece.

v4. AIna fst-air construction, v`a step vincluding a riser and a treadmember interlocked at their -f-ront edges forming the lnose vlof the step, 1and 5a separate lnose piece applied Y'over the `'nose fat the top and l'provided with a plura-lity of sockets spaced ia'part, Fand blocks of non-slippingmaterial within and projecting aboveV -lthe sockets 55. In.- a Astair 'constriictiom a step ineludlng a riser and 'atread-nrember-interlocked at theirfront edges formingthenoseiof the step, and a 1 separate nose p i-ece applied over the noseE at-then top and 'provided-'at its 'longitudinal edges fwth downwardly extending flanges to embrace the nose.

i'6. "In la stair construction, fa step includvingp a riser and a tread member interloclied at their ffront edges forming the 4:nose 'ofthe step, and a separate nose piece Vap''plied'over the nose et thetop 1 and fprovided'et its inner -edge with a depending acute angle flange 5to engage the horizontal portion of the nose.

7. In a stair construction, a step including a riser and a tread member interlocked at their front ,edges forming the nose of the step, and a separate nose piece applied over the nose at the top and reinforcing the same, said nose piece being formed at its longitudinal edges with downwardly extending flanges, the tread member being covered with plastic material, one of said flanges being embedded in said material and the other flange engaging about the front edge of the nose.

8. In a stair construction, a step including a metallic riser and tread member interlocked at their front edges forming the nose of the step, a separate nose piece applied to the upper face of the nose and carrying nonslipping material, and means for detachably securing the nose piece in position to both the tread and riser.

9. In a stair construction, a step having a tread member and a riser, the riser being formed at its upper portion with a horizontal shelf, a vertical wall extendin upwardly from the front edge of the shel and a horizontal flange extending inwardlyl from the vertical wall, and the tread member having its bottom wall resting upon said shelf, a vertical wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the front, and a horizontal flange extending inwardly from the vertical wall, the vertical walls and the horizontal flanges of the riser and tread member fitting one within the other forming the nose of the step, and a separate nose piece fitted to said flanges, and operating as a lock for embracing and holding the tread and riser to-y getlher.

l0. In a stair construction, a step having a tread member and a riser, the riser being formed at its upper portion with a horizontal shelf, a vertical Wall extending upwardly from the front edge of the shelf, and a horizontal flange extending inwardly from the vertical wall, and the tread member having its bottom wall resting upon said shelf, a vertical wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall at the front, said vertical wall contacting with the horizontal flange of the riser and fitting within the same and combining to form the nose of the step, and a separate nose piece having a pair of depending flanges, one of which engages thel horizontal flange of the riser and the other flange engages the vertical wall thereof, said nose piece serving both as a reinforcement and a lock for the nose. V

l1. In a stair construction, a step including a riser and a tread member interfitted at their front edges forming the nose of the step, and a separate nose piece applied over the top of the nose and operating as a lock for embracing and securing the tread member and riser together at the front edges of the step.

l2. In a stair construction, a step including a metallic riser and tread member interlocked at their front edges forming the nose of the step, a separate nose piece applied to the upper face of the nose and carrying non-slipping material, and means for detachably securing the nose piece in position to the tread and riser, the nose piece operating as a lock for embracing and holding the tread and riser together at the nose.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature.

ARTHUR SHERIDAN HUGHES. 

